Background: Sterilization and disinfection in hospitals is a significant concern for both the medical and the general community. There has been an increase in many infectious diseases such as acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) and hepatitis B because of inadequate sterilization.
Objective: To know the knowledge, attitude, and practice regarding sterilization among health-care staff working in a tertiary hospital.
Materials and Methods: This descriptive, observational hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted from October 2013 to December 2013. The study participants included final-year medical students, interns, nursing staff, laboratory technicians, ward boys, and sanitation staff working in the institute who deal with patients, blood, etc. The study was conducted using pretested, semi-structured pro forma. The data were tabulated and interpretation was done using percentages through EpiInfo software, version 3.5.1.
Result: The study included 280 participants. Of them, 254 participants returned completed questionnaires. The respondents included 111 final-year students and interns, 83 nurses, 11 laboratory technicians, and 49 sanitary staff. Majority (61%) of the respondents belonged to the age group of 21-30 years. More than two-third of study participants had been working in the hospital since the last 15 years. Only 44% respondents received training for sterilization and its management. As per the respondents, AIDS (74.4%) and hepatitis B (55.9%) were the main infectious diseases transmitted due to inadequate sterilization.
Conclusion: There was inadequate knowledge among health-care staff regarding sterilization. They need to be trained on a regular basis to improve not just their knowledge but also attitude and practice.
Key words: Sterilization, disinfection, asepsis, health-care staff, knowledge
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